Thursday, January 22, 2009
January 10, 2009
Today’s Agenda:
Over the past week, we have thought about different kinds of arguments we might encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Today we are going to begin the process of learning how to efficiently summarize academic arguments that we encounter in writing.
However, before we can do that, we first need to become familiar with these kinds of arguments.
Open your books to page 618. On that page, you will find an article entitled, “Those Unnerving Ads using ‘Real’ Women.”
I want you to read and annotate this article. As you annotate, I want you to be looking for answers to the following questions.
1) Who is writing this article? What is his or her name and profession? Who are they writing to? Is there an event that this article is written in response to? If so, what was it?
2) Does the author use any technical jargon or academic lingo that an average reader may not be familiar with? If so, what are these words and phrases, and what do you think their definitions are?
3) What are the basic questions that the author addresses in this piece?
4) What is the fundamental question this author addresses?
5) What is the author’s thesis?
6) What are the author’s basic claims, and what is the evidence the author uses to back up those claims?
After we answer these questions, we can move on into the first major project for this course.
In the professional world, you will often find yourself needing to summarize complex arguments in writing for people who simply do not have time to read the actual argument.
In order to accomplish this task effectively, you will need to be able to write a certain kind of summary document, a précis (pronounced PRAY-SEE).
There are three simple parts to a précis. Let’s think about this briefly:
The point of a précis is to lay out an argument for an audience who needs to know about the argument without reading the entire ten, twelve or twenty page document.
We have to inform the audience on the argument without “dumbing it down” or oversimplifying it!
To write a précis, you will need to incorporate direct quotations from an article to express those points that are better articulated by the author than you yourself could articulate them.
You will sometimes need to use words in quotes to emphasize the author’s original tone. It is hugely important to show an author’s bias without commenting on it and editorializing, without using “I” anywhere in this piece.
You will need to paraphrase quite a bit in this document, and can expect to use phrases like “according to….” or “X claims” every couple of lines.
The point here is to report on the author’s thoughts and comments, and to leave your own opinions at the door (there will be time enough for voicing your opinions in the future).
Once we are clear on those points, we can move on.
The Précis (Pray-SEE)
There are three simple sections to a précis: Situation, Issue, and Thesis. In each of these sections we break down different parts of an argument.
While each section has its own rules and expectations, there are certain expectations you will have to follow all the way through the précis.
Each section should be titled as such. This is okay in a précis.
Situation
-
The very beginning of your précis.
-
It should lay out what the audience needs to know about the author, the full title (including subtitle), and whatever publication info you have in MLA style (except for the author’s name which should be done first name first). In this case, the MLA-style is that of a work cited entry for a work in an anthology. You will be responsible for locating this information.
-
Next, you need to establish the basic context for the writing: who is writing it (what do we know about the author and or his or her position, profession etc), to whom are they addressing the piece (audience), when was it written, and whether there is any particular EVENT that has driven this response. Some arguments may have this, some may not. You can expect to take the better part of a paragraph to convey this information.
-
Remember, you are situating the writing for an audience who WILL NOT READ THE FULL ARTICLE. What general information do they need to know about it?
Let’s begin to write a Situation section for the article we just read, “Those Unnerving Ads using ‘Real’ women.”
You will be able to draw off of some of your answers from our earlier writing to do this. You will probably also need to revisit the book.
The next section we need to consider is the Issue section. Here is how that portion of the s document works.
Issue
-
The author may use technical jargon or academic lingo in the argument. You need to begin your ISSUE section by defining these terms for the reader. Clarify for the ready any terms or phrases you think may cause him or her difficulty. We do this in paragraph, as opposed to bullet point or list, form.
-
Lay out the basic questions that the author addresses (NOT the answers).
-
END WITH THE MAJOR ISSUE QUESTION. The major issue question is the question the author attempts to answer with his or her thesis.
Again, let’s try to answer as much of this as possible with the answers we generated at the beginning of class. You will probably also need to revisit the document for information you may have missed the first time through.
Once we have finished the Issues section, we can move on to the THESIS section.
Thesis
-
Begin with the author’s THESIS appears (the answer to the major issue question.)
-
It is also where the other claims and evidence for those claims (as well as the major claim) will appear.
-
This is the lion’s share of the précis.
Project groups:
You now need to form yourselves into editing groups. Editing groups consist of 3-4 people, you need to share e-mail addresses with one another, if you do not use first class.
Homework:
As will always be the case, your homework for the week is divided into assignments for this coming TUESDAY and this coming THURSDAY.
The TUESDAY assignments are due prior to the close of business on TUESDAY (5 PM), and the THURSDAY documents are due before class on Tuesday.
Homework can be completed at ANY TIME prior to those deadlines, but it must be completed by then.
Homework for THIS TUESDAY:
Complete and your draft of the précis for “Those Unnerving Ads Using ‘Real’ Women.” Page 618. E-mail – do not post – your draft to your editing group members. Editing group members will review and comment on your draft. They will comment on what you are doing right, and what they think you are doing wrong. Editors,you can expect to write a couple of paragraphs per edit. Make sure you e-mail corrections back to your group members no later than MONDAY by the close of business.
Read Chapter 2: Arguments from the Heart – Pathos 45-58.
Blog: Write a 1.5 page blog post on the following topic:
Clearly identify and describe in detail a pathos-based argument that you have encountered recently. What was the argument? How was the argument designed to appeal to your emotions? Did this appeal work? If so, why? If not, why not?
Homework For NEXT THURSDAY:
Edit and submit your précis on “Those Unnerving Ads Using ‘Real’ Women” directly to me at crowleya@fc.husson.edu. I will be grading these documents.
Read: Arguments Based on Character — Ethos
Blog: Write a 1.5 page blog post on the following topic:
Clearly identify and describe in detail a ethos-based argument that you have encountered recently. What was the argument? How was the argument designed to appeal to an understanding of character? If so, why? If not, why not?
For class: PRINT OFF AND BRING WITH YOU THREE COPIES of a complete précis for “The Oblivious Empire” by Mark Hertsgaard, page 1015-1025. We will be work shopping these together. This is a longer documents. I suggest you read and annotate for the important precis information first, and only then attempt to organize that information into the actual precis.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know in a timley manner. I look forward to reading your work.
Advertisement
[...] Thursday, Jan 22 [...]
Chris Howland
Comp. & Rhetoric
Adam Crowley
1-22-09
To many people arguments are an act of pertaining the final truth to a question or path in life. I have found that there are many ways to find the truth. One example is that of a street sign. I would have not thought about this particular example myself, but it does indeed make sense. Someone is driving down the road wondering where to go or how to get there final destination. This relates to an example of two people having an argument and trying to find a result which will bring them to a concise conclusion. While traveling down the road the travelers see a street sign. This part of the journey relates to the people reaching a truthful fact in their argument, one that they know they can follow because it is proven correct. After seeing the street sign they begin to travel directly towards their destination. In an argument this would be where the people begin to come to an agreement after seeing facts in the matter, but they still aren’t convinced. At this point in the road the travelers come upon another sign that is an exit with the name of the destination they have been looking for on it. Now back to the arguing people, they are now coming to the point where a decision must be made. They finally reach a conclusion after finding the final fact, (THE EXIT SIGN). Now that both of them see the final truth they are ready to arrive at a conclusion and end of the argument. The deciding factor is always truths, facts, and in this case street signs. All in all, relating something like a street sign or a road with many street signs to an argument is not a far stretch. I found the similarity and hopefully you can as well.
Kevin Adams
Pathos
Arguments from the Heart
Creating an argument that comes from the heart can be fairly tricky I believe. Getting the other party to “get on your side” by using emotions can be tough. Being careful not to ridicule but almost empathize and connect with your audience using some emotion. I remember having an argument from the heart about a year or so ago with my parents. I was in the middle of a transition with school and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life and the direction I wanted to go. I loved and still love snowboarding but at the time I really wanted to give up on school and move out west to snowboard while I was still young.
Like a proposal argument I had to do some research and get some facts and gather some information about what life would be like out west. After all my parents, especially my dad weren’t too energetic about the idea of my giving up on school. I did my homework and prepared a presentation on the computer about my concept and game plan so to say. Now my parents have always known that I love to snowboard and love everything about being on the mountain in nature’s course. So I remember during the presentation that I showed them, I feel that they really understood where I was coming from because of the emotion I put into it. I included pictures in my project and explained how I felt about snowboarding in a few feet of fresh powder. I even included a story about a day of snowboarding I had experienced at Sugarloaf and how good it felt just to be lucky enough to have the skills to experience everything that the sport has to offer. I stated that words couldn’t explain the feeling and rush I got from being in the woods with absolutely no sound expect my breathing and sounds of the board meeting the snow.
This argument was designed to appeal to my emotions and I do think that it worked. Thereafter, my parents were more understanding of how I felt about the situation. I think that my approach with emotional ties worked because they saw how excited and enthusiastic I was about my passion. With my short tales of my experiences, I felt that I really connected to my parents and father because he himself is a skier and always used to tell me of dreams he had of moving to Colorado.
Emily Gala
1/25/09
Rhetoric and Comp. II
A. Crowley
Pathos
Pathos ( a Greek word), appeals to the to the audience’s emotions. This occurs when someone tries to bring out events invoking grief, or even his or hers own demise. The first thing that came to mine is a recent even in American history. This happen to be the Inauguration of 2009.
The inauguration of Barrack Obama. Barack is are forty-fourth President of the United States. It took place in the afternoon of January 20th, 2009. It was quite a hear-felt moment. Obama became the first African American to hold the office. The theme soon came to be known as “ A New Birth of Freedom”. This defined a prime example of pathos. It was truly a powerful tool in influencing what people think and believe. The viewers of this historic day, as well as myself know what this did for are country.
Throughout the Inauguration, Obama spoke strongly, and clearly to the nation. He thanked are recent President George W. Bush. He is now required to sworn “ the oath of Presidency”.
Like any great Pathos, he moves the crowd with his speech. He deliver’s an emotional piece of writing invoking the audience and bringing out the history of America. He talks about our countries past. How we must prepare for a “New Nation”. He brings up all times, hard times for our people. Young men fought for are freedom, in the most toughest times. Obama brings up Gettysburg, Normandy and many other times of great peril our country has been in. In saying so, he informs us all that this will not be easy. It is now time for a change. The path were taking is not made for the faint of heart.
After reflecting on our path, Obama brings up where we our now as a country. He stated, “ the office has had its clouds and storms overhead”. We have certainly had some rough times. We are in a state of trouble, we are in War. He informs us that the challenges he must take are real, but he will do it. “They will not be easily fixed, but America, they will be met.” He brings so much energy into this speech.
Obama truly has a great grasp on his viewers. Millions came to see him. He was truly heart-felt in what he had to say. He had a strong hand on the topic. He truly made us all feel he is ready to meet the challenge. Finally “turn the tables” , and allow someone else in the office. This truly brought a lot of true emotions out to the people. Everyone of us, black or whiter, young and old. We all could relate some way or another to Barrack Obama on the day of his Inauguration. Thus reflecting on his speech, I feel as though this was a prime example of a pathos. It also was one of the most pathos- based arguments I have encountered yet. It may not have reached everyone the way he wanted to, but he surely got people to listen.
Work Cited
http://www.webtvhub.com/watch-obama-inauguration-acceptance-speech/
Bethany Beaulieu
A. Crowley
Rhetoric & Composition
01/25/09
Emotional Arguments
An emotional argument is something that comes from the heart. It can be used to gain sympathy, understanding, compassion, and security from people. It is hard to base your decisions on your emotions. It is easier when you have the information and resources to back your argument. The most recent argument I have encountered involves my career choice. It has taken me a long time and some persuasion to still continue with the pre-dental track. In sum, emotion based arguments can lead to some sort of a truth. It is hard to find a solution to an argument based on emotions.
Ever since I was a child, I was pushed to go to college. I had many options and different careers to choose from. The vast majority of my peers knew what they wanted to do in high school and stuck with their first choice. I, on the other hand, was different. I had no idea what I wanted to do. College fair after college fair, I still had no idea. Every time I left one of those college fairs I left more confused than I already was. Based on my emotions I started looking at high paying careers. I wanted to take vacations when I felt like it and be able to afford it. The majority of them I looked at were in the medical field. I started job shadowing local doctor, dentist, and optometrist offices. I had narrowed it down to optometry and dentistry. Not long after enrolling into college I was set on dentistry. People discriminated my choice. I would get asked “Why would you want to be in peoples mouth all day?”. I had to show them some sort of truth behind my choice. My reason to become a dentist is to help people feel comfortable about their smile. Dentists can’t be replaced by machinery or an overseas company unlike some other jobs. They will be needed for quite some time. I had everyone that doubted my choice of career convinced. They finally agreed that it was an appropriate choice for me. The appeal did work because I took information, statistics, and my emotions to back up my argument.
Consequently, battling my emotions helped me show others the upside of becoming a dentist. They found a side of me they had never seen before. It benefited me in a way also. I persuaded myself in becoming a dentist.
Rachel Foster
Rhetoric and Comp. II
A. Crowley
January 23, 2009
Pathos-based Argument
When I was 16 years old and a Sophomore in high school I had started to become that stubborn, rebellious teenager that every mother dreads. I knew what impact my actions had been causing on my own life and didn’t really care about much else. Both my mom and dad had given me those “talks” about my lifestyle, but I had yet to understand their point of view.
After a late night out I finally arrived at our second house in Canada where my parents were expecting me. Upon arrive my mom was waiting to talk to me, as I had expected; it was routine now. Arguments between Mom and I were never heated or violent, there was never any yelling nor hardly any display of emotion form either side of the argument, not until that day. My mom began with her usual questions accompanied by her dos and don’ts, but then she continued to talk, which I did not expect. Her tone of voice had changed and before I knew it she was crying.
To this day I cannot remember what it was that she said after that moment, but seeing my mom be so detached from her normal state of well being had a serious impact on me. Her display of emotions connected with me and I was “convinced.” She had pointed me in the direction of the truth. As our text says, using emotions to build bridges is a tactic, and often a successful one, used when arguing. In my case this was very much so true, the emotional bridge that was formed during the argument with my mom was successful in the fact that I was able to see the truth and point that my mom (and dad) had been trying to make all along. Prior to that day they had merely provided, what I would consider, explanations revolving around logic. At the unstable age of 16, I was not able to connect with what was being said to me and instead it was via a pathos-based argument that finally got my attention.
Bethany Nadeau
Rhetoric & Comp. II
A. Crowley
27 January 2009
Pathos
I was recently encountered with an argument of the heart while I was watching one of my favorite television shows. During the commercial, Sarah Mclachlan was advocating for stray and abandoned animals. Her song “Angel” was playing in the background, an emotionally touching song, while short clips of hurt and lonely cats and dogs were being displayed. In between each set of two or three pictures was a quick fact about how many animals need homes and how many die each year due to a lack of care and medical attention. Towards the end of the commercial, Sarah Mclachlan herself was sitting on a couch in a cozy living room petting a golden retriever. She softly coins the phrase, “Will you be an angel for a helpless animal?” This is a classic case for an argument from the heart. The ad is clearly appealing to my emotions and is trying to make me feel somewhat guilty for not helping all of the helpless animals in our country. Not only is it trying to make me aware of the many thousands of animals that need help, it is also trying to motivate me to do something about it. Many people, including myself, are moved by both imagery and auditory means. The pictures and poignant music created a sympathetic atmosphere for these animals and the final inspiring message at the end of the ad would be enough to push any animal enthusiast over the edge to give willingly to this cause. Unfortunately for them, I am more concerned with the people in this world than with the animals and I am already doing my part to help young children in need. This commercial was very touching, and almost disturbing in a sense that not everyone really wants to see the harsh realities of life when they sit down in front of their televisions at night to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday activities. Trying to relax while watching a screen filled with abused animals is not the most settling. For some people, this may inspire them to stop wasting their lives away in front of a screen and do something about it while others would just assume not watch it. For me, I prefer not to pay too close attention to it. There are so many good agencies trying to make a difference, but there is only so much an individual person can give. So for many people, including myself, we give kudos to those who are actively trying to make a difference and then go about our everyday lives.
EH 124
January 27, 2009
Pathos Argument
There are so many arguments in day to day life where we encounter pathos. Personally I know I have these arguments constantly. One that tends to stick to mind is when my family asks me to spend time with my great grandmother.
I have always gotten along with my great grandmother, but recently she’s gotten really ill. Most adolescents tend to just want to relax and hang out with friends when they are not busy, but on top of that I also have a crazy schedule now that I am in college. I am also a commuter so I travel an hour to school and back five days a week. Now that my great grandmother is ill I feel like I should be spending more time with her, I know that she is in a lot of pain.
The last time I went to visit her I only visited for a little while. When I went to leave, my great grandmother gave me a hug and she said, “I hope you will come visit me again, I didn’t get to really see you.” My heart fell to into my stomach, I was crushed. Instantly I felt horrible. Now I was faced with a real argument, a serious dilemma.
When I think about what my great grandmother said to me, I sometimes feel upset because I am not her only granddaughter. Many of her other grandchildren have been more close to her, but yet I am one of the only few who actually visit her. I guess this just means that I am the one who won’t feel bad when she does pass away.
I told my mom about what happened and she told me that I really needed to go and visit her more. I knew I had to go and visit her, but I just don’t have the time to. My great grandmother had used emotion to get me to not only to come and visit her, but also so that I would understand that it means a lot to her. The argument she made was definitely designed to appeal to my emotions because I have always been such a loving person.
I still haven’t resolved the argument, now I am just getting back to the swing of things at school and of course we already have quizzes, exams, and many papers to write. But unlike many other arguments that I normally have, this one is the one that will have the biggest result on my part. Hopefully, I can find time to visit my great grandmother, I just hope she’s granted more time, but I know I can’t depend on that.
Brianna Ward
EH 124
January 27, 2009
Chapter 2 Arguments from the Heart
Arguments from the heart aim to trigger certain emotions inside of the audience, and make them feel, in a sense, sympathetic for the writer. Pathos make people feel and think a certain way. The writer aims to get a certain reaction out of their audience, and sometimes this is a hard task to accomplish. The writer will use humor, pictures, stories and/or facts to achieve their task.
A proposal argument that I have recently had was with my parents, where I had to convince them that I should get a new cell phone for Christmas. I had done a lot of research on the prices of the different kinds of phones, and all the special features they included. I came up with a mini presentation, with pictures and facts, that showed them why I believed it was a good idea that I should get a new phone, along with my own cell phone plan.
I showed them different pictures of the phone and the things that came with it. I also researched how much the bill would be each month, to show them that it would be almost the exact same as it was at that point. I argued that it would be a good idea, since I’m almost 19, that I start building up my credit. By having something simple like a phone plan in my name, it would make it easy to start establishing that.
They saw how enthusiastic I was about the phone, and what it could teach me about responsibly. Although it took some time, they decided it was a good idea, so the appeal did eventually work. It worked because I presented it in a professional manner. I showed them the facts about the phone and the plan, threw in some pictures, and even added a little bit of humor.
Jessica Munson
Rhetoric and Comp. II
A. Crowley
January 27, 2009
Pathos
All arguments are full of emotions whether it is aggression, anger, or pain. The idea of emotion-bases arguments is that the argument is more personal and easier to relate to. Pathos arguments include the use of emotions such as arguments from the heart or arguments, emotions used to sustain an argument, or the use of humor in an argument. One argument that I had in the last six months that included the use of emotions was about a very important decision I had to make about college and career paths.
Throughout my junior and senior year of high school I researched and thought about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I had absolutely no idea when I started looking at colleges but I eventually decided on architecture. I have always been interested in art and design and I thought it would be a good career path for me. With that decision I chose a school and I was so relieved to finally to have things figured out and to have some direction in life. Everything was in place; I was ready to start the beginning of the rest of my life. Well at least that is what I thought until I got to school and experienced the program for a couple of weeks.
I realized that architecture was not for me; so there I was once again, back to having no direction and no clue as to what I wanted to do. I knew I would have to call and explain to my parents the reason why I had conclude that I wanted to drop out of architecture. I called them and explained to them everything that I was feeling and all the thoughts I had. I explained to them that I did not like the program, I was homesick, I did not like my roommates, and I did not like the surrounding area around the school. After a long discussion of listening to their concerns and thoughts and expressing my emotions and concerns, they finally understood and respected my decision. The tactic of using my emotions to trigger their emotions worked. Since they hate to see me miserable or unhappy they accepted my decision.
Using emotions in arguments can be helpful because they help the other person relate to your side of the argument. A pathos-based argument is the type of argument that usually leads to a compromise or understanding more quickly. Emotions are a complex and powerful thing and when used they can be a useful tool in everyday conversations, debates, and arguments.
Matthew Nash
January 27, 2009
Pathos Argument
A. Crowley
Emotional arguments, or appeals to pathos are arguments that appeal to the other party’s emotions. Their goal is to create sympathy or pity from the other party’s and to use these emotions to win their argument. Although emotions are tricky to base your opinion on, when you are given facts and information that support those emotions, it completes a winning argument. However appealing to emotions can be tricky. Our emotional decisions are sometimes not what is always best for us. This is why in these arguments is so important to use facts and information to support this.
My most important pathos based argument that I’ve had was based on my college major decision. Although I knew that I wanted to go to college after High School I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do while at college. My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps and do engineering, so as I didn’t have any other strong interests in other majors I decided to try engineering out. After a year of trying it out, I knew I didn’t like it and wanted to try a different major, and a different school. Although I wanted to do this, my father felt very differently. I told him how I had no desire to do engineering anymore, and that it was only his dream. After showing him my extreme dislike for engineering and my new found liking of the business world, my father sympathized with me and ended up supporting my decision to transfer to Husson and go into Business Administration. After what seemed like months of arguments with my father, I finally appealed to his emotions of wanting to live my own life, and being able to fulfill my own goals. This was such an important argument for me because it separated myself from my father’s footsteps, but also allowed me to do as I pleased.
Rachel Foster
Rhetoric and Comp. II
A. Crowley
January 25, 2009
Ethos – Based Argument
Ethos-based arguments happen everyday, as do a variety of other arguments. Ethos-based arguments, or arguments revolving around character, occur on a broad scale of situations; some involve just one or two people, while others can involve an entire nation. As Barack Obama and John McCain campaigned the past few months all of America was exposed to many ethos-based arguments.
Campaigning for a position such as a presidency requires many things, such as claiming authority, establishing credibility, and being direct about motives1. It is the opinions of the people and governing officials that are the determining factor for a political race. But what is it that sways their opinion one way or another? Obama’s campaign and his campaign speeches played a significant role in his election. His persuasive and catchy arguments gained the attention of many. Though most of Obama’s speeches are written by a speechwriter they still must contain the right presentation of character to please the ear of every listening American.
In Obama’s inaugural speech he presented an array of pleasing, and welcoming words to a crowd of millions, and possibly a few billions. In this crowd were not only the people of America, but far off viewers, some bitter and some enlightened. To those foreigners who had tuned in to watch his speech he addresses them in an apologetic and polite manner saying “And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.”
It is not simply Obama’s character that is portrayed in his speech, but rather the character of America as a whole. By representing America as “…humble…and grateful…” the President provides a noble character for America. Another key component to his speech was the rather detailed goals that he has set for America, most of which are to better foreign countries, whether friend or foe. Maybe, though, the one thing that can set him apart from all other American presidents is what has gained the attention of so many; perhaps it was his race. If it was so, what an ideal argument of character his inaugural speech was, expressing his concern and willingness to help a nation that just a short time ago would not have let a man of his race “been served at a local restaurant [but] can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”
1. Lunsford, Andrea, John Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters. Everything’s and
Argument. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007
Bethany Beaulieu
A. Crowley
January 28th 2009
Ethos
Ethos should demonstrate reliability, competence, and respect. The speaker of this kind of argument does not want to inflict harm. These writers or speakers usually achieve a shape when they begin an argument. They make themselves approachable by the tone of voice, hand gestures, eye contact and posture. This type of writer and speaker typically include their life, work, and reputation into their writing piece or speech.
When I think of an argument of character; I think of my doctor. My primary care physician is someone the community trusts, listens to, and she has a good reputation. She is a very composed person. She is always giving one hundred and ten percent. She had done a lot for my family along with many others. Doctors are a good example because they are such influential people. Half the time we as patients don’t know what they are talking about, yet, we listen intently and follow their every direction. We all want to believe that our doctor knows what they are talking about. Usually an argument based on character the speaker is worth listening to. I’d agree along with the many others that our physicians are worth listening to.
Consequently, we believe medical professionals because of their experience and their knowledge. Their speech and ability to approach people are important because they are being watched all the time. The many doctors throughout our communities is a good example of character. Like an ethos argument, they demonstrate reliability, competence, and respect.
Bethany Nadeau
Rhetoric & Comp II
A. Crowley
28 January 2009
Ethos
Recently I encountered an ethos based argument, that is, an argument based on character. I was trying to decide which church to go to in the area. Since I have been living in Bangor without knowing very many people, it has been hard to find a good Christian community to merge myself into. This is particularly important to me and deciding which church to become a member in is not a decision to be taken lightly. My search started with a few random selections. The credibility of that church was based on both what other patrons had said about it and my own personal conclusions after visiting it. The first one I went to was pleasant enough. The people were all upstanding and on their best moral behavior, as expected, and the worship service as well as the preaching was relatively good. The ethos-based argument plays a large role in such settings. The character of the church leaders is quite important when choosing a church body. Does the pastor “walk the talk?” Are the music leaders just “playing church?” These are all questions of character that need to be answered before I make any decisions on the subject, as I am sure it is the same for any other person looking to find a good church community to become a part of. At this first particular church, the music was quite wonderful and had a positive and truthful message. When the pastor took the pulpit, however, there were some things that just did not add up. Some of the things he spoke about were rather contradictory to what I believed and even what the music had portrayed. This type of contradiction did not contribute to their character whatsoever and thus I decided against further attendance to such a place.
Currently I am in close proximity with a church that has thus far maintained a solid character. The pastor and pastoral staff have proven to be of high caliber and the music team is in unison with my personal beliefs. They are all quite knowledgeable in the traditions I believe to be right. They do not “play church.” Putting on a fake front can only hold up for so long and once it is uncovered, all credibility is lost. This church is not like that. They have maintained a credible standpoint that I believe will consistently be proven in the future. They are reliable and respectable.
Brianna Ward
Eh 124
January 28, 2009
Arguments Based on Character- Ethos
Ethos-Based Argument
Ethos is the presentation of self that a writer or speaker brings to an argument. In an ethos-based argument, the writer must establish some credibility so that the audience will respect and listen to what they have to say. The audience may be as small as one or two people, or as large as the entire nation. The writer wants to make sure to establish some connection with their audience, while still claiming authority so that their audience will believe and listen to what is being said.
An ethos-based argument can be used in presidential campaigning or trying to show someone how and why you feel a certain way about a specific topic. A friend of mine had to explain, and argue, many times as to why she had chosen to become a vegan. One day she had an argument with my dad about the issue. She had to establish that she had done the research on all the aspects of being a vegan. She watched films, read books by trustworthy authors, and looked up information online. She told my father that she loves animals, just like he loves our household pets, and she just feels it’s wrong to eat them.
She used words and phrases that made my father connect to what she had to say. She said everything in a deep and meaningful way so that you knew she was truly passionate about what she had decided to do. She told him some of her family history, and how it was a joint decision between her mother, her sister and herself to change to a vegan lifestyle. She backed up her decision with evidence, so it showed that she had done the research behind it all. This way you knew she was not just doing all of this “for fun”.
Because my friend had established authority, and stated and showed evidence that she knew the facts behind her decision, my father sat and listened to what she had to say. He didn’t criticize her for her decision at all; he just wanted to know what made her want to dive into such a drastic change. Not only did she use passionate terms and phrases, she backed up her statements, and threw in some of her history. This made for a heart-filled, persuasive presentation.
Emily Gala
1/27/09
Rhetoric and Comp. II
A. Crowley
Ethos
Ethos are arguments based on character. In many cases this involves a writer or speaker who brings out an argument. After much thought I came up with a prime example of an Ethos. When we think of an Ethos, we refer to it with writing or a speaking. However, Ethos can also be written in lyrical- form, which is just another form of writing.
When I discovered this, one great song came to mind. This song you may or may not have heard is “Lola”. It was written by Ray Davies and performed by “The Kinks”. The song was released in June of 1970.
Now you may ask “Where’s the Argument?” well this is where it comes in. This song was written about a transvestite. This especially back than, was above its time. It wasn’t known about, and especially never questioned. However, Ray Davies was willing to change this all. This song was inspired by the famous transvestite of the time Candy Darling. In fact Ray Davies allegedly dated her for a brief time. This alone, put a lot of shock to those listening to the song. There was another reason Ray Davies wrote this very controversial piece of music. His manager was at a club one night, and started dancing with what he thought was a young woman. He soon discovered she was a man. This was quite a shocking experience for this individual. Nothing at the time had been this “odd” or “outlandish”.
What Ray Davies, as well as the rest of the band was trying to do was brilliant. He used his musical background, and his success to persuade an argument. In this case, he wanted people to know that transvestites are out there, and they should be treated as human beings too. Although the song was light hearted, it still was suggesting a very serious subject. A subject a lot of people wouldn’t go near. Lola hid meaning, in the making. It was quite brilliant in fact; it allowed others to look at things in a different way, from all different angles of the spectrum, not just one. Although at first “The Kinks” followers (or fans) were not use to this. However it did allow them to step out of the box. They soon began to love it. Ray Davies finally got the reaction he wanted. It opened the doors of possibility for artists like himself, as well as the rest of the band. This included, Lou Reed and David Bowie. They now were open to explore homosexuality in songs that straight people liked too. He got his point across. He used his character, as well as his own personal experience on the manner. He put his own personal intake on the subject, and spread it across the world for millions of those you listened to his songs. It truly was a turning point for music. He went above the norm. With that being said, he truly used Ethos in his work, as well as many other artist like him.
Jessica Munson
Rhetoric and Comp. II
A. Crowley
1-28-09
Ethos
Ethos is just another component in an argument. It is one of three modes of persuasion in Rhetoric. It uses character to help get the audience to listen and respect the particular person’s point. I recently had an argument with a friend about abortions.
My friend is the kind of person that lives to volunteer, preserve the community, and help anyone in need. Basically she is on a mission to improve today’s society and make the world a better place. She believes that abortion is wrong and should be illegal. My opinion on the subject is that in certain situations it is wrong but in special circumstances such as age or rape it is necessary.
She preceded to plea her side of the discussion by stating facts and statistics on the subject. The tone of sincerity and concern in her voiced really showed that she cared and was passionate about the issue. She is involved in the active debate in society on abortions. She used her emotions and her character to state her case and to show me and everyone else the other side of the argument. By appealing to her audience’s character and she got the audience to reconsider their stand point on the issue. This appeal worked because the audience began to think about the innocent children that were being killed everyday due to abortions. Even though her argument did not change my opinion, she did manage to change a few people’s opinion. I was, however, able to relate to her side and to understand where she was coming from. I respected her concerns and valued her opinion.
Using ethos in an argument can help the other person comprehend your side of the discussion. Character shows who you are and what you believe in. Without character it would be harder to appeal to your audience. In an argument ethos is just as important as pathos because it shows your concerns, your ethics, and your judgment. In order to win an argument you need to appeal to the person’s emotions and character.
Matthew Nash
Rhetoric and Comp 2
January 28, 2009
A. Crowley
Ethos arguments are arguments that apply to the ethics or morals of a person. Instead of appealing to the emotions like pathos based arguments, these arguments are used to appeal to the ethics of a person to get their point across.
My most recent ethos argument that I encountered would have to be while I was watching a movie called John Q. The main character of the movie is Denzel Washington and his son has recently just been placed in the hospital with a heart problem. Denzel’s insurance doesn’t cover the costs of what it would take to fix his heart and get a transplant so the hospital is going to be forced to release his son. He also cannot afford to pay it because their family is struggling financially so he decided that he was going to hold up the hospital. He keeps about 10 people in the waiting area hostage and chains the doors into and out of there up. The only thing that he asks is his son gets put on the donor list and gets the transplant.
The ethos argument that I found in this was not whether holding up the hospital was right, but whether it is right for a hospital to deny somebody the right to receive an organ that could save their life. Morally I could not live with myself if I had to make that decision. To deny a child life due to money, that easily every child is worth, is a very moral related argument. The movie continued on to the hospital finally finding a heart for his child, but right after the surgery completed he was handcuffed and taken to jail. If the hospital would have given the child the heart right away would the ethical question of holding up the hospital would never have came into effect. If it were up to me I could not have denied the child the heart. I believe this showed the hospital as producing a bad response to a strong ethos argument.
ill Sarno
Ethos
January 28, 2009
Ethos is a type of argument that is had with someone who is qualified to argue for or against the subject. The last ethos argument I encountered took place between me and my cheerleading coach, Julie. Julie has been a coach for at least eight years and before that was a cheerleader in elementary school, high school, and college. She is very experienced in the sport and, for the most part, knows what is best for her team.
My senior year I was captain of my high school cheerleading team with Julie as my coach. She is someone that I have always admired and have had nothing but resect for her. However, an argument ensued between she and I about which stunts to put in the routine. I am not as qualified in the sport as she is, but some of her ideas were not going over well with the rest of the team. Being captain, I felt it was my responsibility to bring the cheerleader’s concerns to her attention. I began by telling her that the girls and I have found the routine too hard to complete with the intricate foot work and stunts she had created. She acted as though she cared and decided to put simple stunts in that would make us look bad in front of the judges when it came time to compete. I when to her again and told her that the routine was too simple, so she put in extremely hard stunts that kept falling and girls were getting hurt doing. I thought that her behavior was a bit childish and could not understand why she was treating her team this way. I was not trying to question her authority or skill, but rather do what is best for my team and work with Julie. She and I bickered about which stunt should go where and what skill was too hard for some groups to mount. Julie explained that she had originally added in difficult stunts because they were something that would be very appealing to the judges if preformed perfectly. I told her that though that may be true, the squad is cheering, dancing, jumping, and stunting our way through the routine. When difficult stunts are put in and the adrenaline is pumping and the anxiety quickly depletes your energy, it is extremely hard to mount a stunt that requires a lot of focus and effort.
After stating each other’s point of views on the matter, Julie and I came to a resolution. We decided that without a few tricky stunts in the performance we would not get a very good score on stunting. Thus, we had all of our pyramids and extreme stunts at the beginning of the routine. This way the girls would have plenty of energy and enthusiasm to complete the stunt perfectly without injury. I came up with the idea that instead of having team back handsprings thrown twice, we would do only one. During the second placement of the back handspring, some of the squad would move to the back of the mat and throw more stunts increasing our score even further. By then end of our argument, Julie and I had put together a routine that later took the squad all the way to the Regional Competition.
Tyla Crocker
Crowley
Eh 124
January 28, 2009
Ethos Argument
Ethos is when a person or a group of people use ethics to persuade others. About three months ago one of my friends achieved a GED. She told me that she then planned on going to college in Rhode Island. I was somewhat worried about what she told me because she hadn’t gone to school since the 5th grade. I felt badly because I didn’t believe she could make it in college easily.
I believe I am ethical, I am a friendly person and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I usually try to always do the right thing, the responsible thing. This is why I feel that I had to tell her what college was really like. Personally I believed that she thought it was just, take a few classes, then maybe go to work for a few hours, and then going at and have fun.
I was obligated to tell her the truth about college. I asked her if she thought that I was an academic person, she said of course, I always put school before other things. She also said that she hated a lot because she never really got to hang out with me during the school year. Once she said that I knew that it was definitely going to be a rough freshman year for her. I explained that college is even more stressful and demanding than high school. So as her friend, I asked her how come she never stuck with grade school. She looked at me and finally said, “Well, it was boring and you had to sit in class all day. But I know I will be fine at college because you don’t have class all day.”
This was not the answer I was hoping for. This was it I had to tell the truth, I had to tell her what she needed to expect from college. I told her that some days you may not have classes all day, but some days she may have many classes, I told her how my first semester at college I had class from eight in the morning to five at night. The school work isn’t easy either, if you’re not studying for an exam, then you’re studying for a quiz, and if you’re not studying for a quiz, you’re writing a paper. I told her that college is strenuous and it isn’t something that should be taken lightly. It should be taken seriously and she should really think about it academically and not something that isn’t tough and only takes up some of your time.
I think she started to feel differently about college after what I said and I hope she did. This is an ethos argument; I had to use my character as an example to her. As her friend I wanted her to know the truth about what it’s going to be like, but I didn’t tell her so she wouldn’t go to college, but I told her so she wouldn’t underestimate it.
Kevin Adams
Professor Crowley
Ethos
Arguments based on character, or ethos, are used by writers and speakers that are trying to establish a connection between themselves and the audience. Forming an identity and sharing values with one’s audience is a simple way to base an argument on character. In a presidential speech, the president will use arguments based on character to help gain trust with the audience. Using certain gestures, establishing credibility, and claiming authority are all techniques used to create a persuasive ethos argument.
I’m sure that arguments based on character are all around me, but at this time I can’t really recall that many but I believe that I was involved in an ethos argument between myself and George. George is the maintenance person at my workplace and he is a very knowledgeable man with years of experience in everything it seems like. He can fix anything and knows about everything going on whenever and wherever. The argument I had with him was over my car. I’ve had trouble with my windshield wipers and have had them fixed by a mechanic but recently they have broken again. For the hell of it I asked George to take a look and see what he thought about the problem. I asked him because he himself has multiple cars and works on his own. After he took a look and tinkered with them for a little while he came to a conclusion about what he thought the problem was. He told me that it was probably the wiper module that needed to be fixed. I trusted his solution so I planned on ordering that part. A little later, he calls someone he knows that is a GM mechanic and describes the problem and justifies that he was correct in saying it was the wiper module.
In this argument that I had with George, I felt like I could trust him in the diagnosis of the problem. I knew that he loves cars and works own his own so that helped with the credibility of his skills and knowledge. When he was looking over and messing with the windshield wipers I could tell that he knew what he was doing. It was an easy choice for me to have him take a look at my car because I’ve seen all the things he can do around the restaurant. I trusted his skills and knowledge and the fact that he called his mechanic to make sure that it was the right diagnosis, it was really a no brainer for me to question that the module was the problem.
Chris Howland
Comp. & Rhetoric 2
Adam Crowley
1/29/09
Ethos
Ethos is an argument that I have encountered in my readings. This is an argument of character. The argument of character involves reliability, credibility, and respect. If anyone is going to listen to someone and believe what they are saying then that person needs to have all of these attributes. My high school hockey coach was a person who had all these qualities and people looked up to him for that. Not only was my coach good at teaching people how to play sports, he was also a well read person, who went to school for many years after graduating college. He was who I would go to if no one else understood my problems. He is a person with much life experience which makes him even more reliable and credible. He has actually been through so many situations that you know he knows what he’s talking about. Many people also respect this man because he is very charitable. There is no question of his character when any kid on the team broke a piece of equipment and couldn’t afford a new one he would buy it for them so they could play. He also donates food and money to the less fortunate. I know that I look up to him for how great of a coach he is, but also for how much intelligence he gives the people around him. He leads by example. If I had to choose a single person for a good example of ethos and great character it would be him. This man also shows great character through trustworthiness. If you are a person who lies cheats or steals, and people know that, you can and will never be trusted. The great thing is when people know you are able to be trusted by your past. I know that my coach had always been truthful. When put in a situation where he could have made hundreds of thousands of dollars by doing something that he would have never got caught for, he didn’t. He was truthful to himself. He didn’t take the offer; instead he pursued the people who were doing the town wrong by stealing their money. He ended up helping the police find and serve these criminals, who were actually “respected people” in the town. That just goes to show you that character is cannot always be judged by the outside reflection. The inside is what counts. The proof comes over time. This person had always been honest, and because of that they were rewarded, not with money, with pride, dignity, and friendship. Everyone has the potential to be a great person who can lead . All it takes is for you to follow what you believe is right. Overall I now have a better grasp on what it truly does take to make a person with great character.
Chris Howland
Comp. & Rhetoric
Adam Crowley
1/29/09
Pathos
Throughout our lives we encounter many emotional arguments. Mine have mostly been emotional family issues. I know that when it is my family I tend to have much more emotion than if it is a non family member. I know that one particular arguments hits home for me on this.
It was last year, my first year of college. I had been at husson for only about a week when my mom told me that my grandmother had a life threatening illness. She had developed cancer. I was shocked and scrared when told this terrible news. I thought that I would just go home and be with her, but then realized that it would be impossible to be a college student and be with my grandmother. I began trying to figure out where my priorities were. I new that my nana ment more to me than anything. I also new that I had to stay in school because that is what she would want me to do. I did end up going home the weekend after I heard the news. While I was there I saw that she really was sick. I spent most of the weekend with her. On Sunday before I was going to hit the road to head back to bangor she said something to me, “chris, I am so glad that you were here this weekend and got to spend time with me, because I’m not going to be here much longer.” She then followed with “ But I really want you to go to college and do well. I pray that you are successful.”
I then realized that I must go back to school no matter how much I would have liked to stay. I was emotionally torn. I got back to school and thought every single day about my nana. Some days I thought I was making the wrong decision by staying in school. The words she said to me about not being here much longer just shook me to the core. I new that she was praying for me to do well in school and if anything I wanted to make her proud of me before she died. So I did stay in school and she did end up passing away. I know that I did what she would have wanted me to, but I sometimes argue with myself about what I should have done. That is just one example of pathos in my life.